Tyler Tabman is here from Overland Park, Kansas, and is running the last Gravekeepers deck in contention today. Matthew Bishop traveled all the way from Toronto! He brought his Dino Rabbit deck.

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Duel One

Bishop started the first game with a Set monster and Set back row.

Tabman had Book of Moon, Starlight Road, Gravekeeper’s Spy, Dark Hole, and Gravekeeper’s Stele. He drew Gravekeeper’s Recruiter. He set Spy, Book, and Road.

Tabman drew Bottomless Trap Hole. He Flip Summoned his Spy, activating its effect. That got him Gravekeeper’s Descendant from his Deck. But when that hit the field, Bottomless Trap Hole banished it! (This is another prime example of the new fast effect rules. Descendant cannot use its effect immediately after its Summon). Tabman Summoned his Recruiter and attacked with it into Snowman Eater, which destroyed Spy. He Set Bottomless Trap Hole and ended his turn.

Bishop used Heavy Storm, but Starlight Road negated it and Summoned a Stardust Dragon! Jurrac Guaiba was Normal Summoned next, and Book of Moon turned it face-down when it attacked. Bishop activated Smashing Ground next, taking out Stardust Dragon.

Tabman drew Sangan and Set it. Recruiter took out Guiba.

Bishop passed, sitting behind Snowman Eater.

Tabman drew Solemn Warning. He used Dark Hole to destroy everything, then his Recruiter and Sangan gave him Gravekeeper’s Commandant and Gravekeeper’s Spy, respectively. Commandant searched out Necrovalley next, which was activated. He set Spy and ended his turn.

Bishop Set a monster and 2 back row cards, clearly knowing the set monster was a Spy.

Tabman drew Recruiter. Spy was Flip Summoned, getting Descendant. Descendant then tributed Spy to destroy Forbidden Lance, which was chained to weaken Descendant. Tabman summoned Recruiter and tributed that too, destroying the face-down Pot of Avarice. Recruiter got him another copy of itself to his hand. Tabman ended his turn.

Bishop drew and passed.

Tabman drew another Spy! He summoned Recruiter, and attacked with it to destroy Bishop’s Sangan. That got Bishop a Rescue Rabbit. Descendant attacked directly for 2000 damage. He set Stele.

Bishop summoned Rescue Rabbit, and used its effect to bring two Kabazauls to the field, but Bottomless Trap Hole banished both hippos!

Tabman drew Gravekeeper’s Assailant on his turn. He attacked with Recruiter, then Descandant, and Bishop summoned Gorz the Emissary of Darkness! That gave him a 2000 ATK Emissary of Darkness Token. Descendant tributed Recruiter to destroy Gorz, and Recruiter got Commandant from the deck. Tabman then Normal Summoned Commandant, and used his two monsters to Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia! He ended his turn.

Bishop Normal Summoned Sabersaurus. Tabman chose to negate the summon with Solemn Warning. The Emissary of Darkness Token was turned to attack position, and attacked Utopia. Utopia detached Descendant to negate the attack (Tabman expected a Forbidden Lance). Bishop set two back rows and ended.

Tabman drew Starlight Road. He Normal Summoned Assailant. Bishop thought for a long moment, then used Solemn Judgment to negate the summon! Tabman set Road and ended his turn.

Bishop Normal Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld and used its effect to Special Summon another Tour Guide. He used them both to Xyz Summon Temtempo the Percussion Djinn! He activated its effect to detach Utopia’s last material! Bishop’s token attacked to force Utopia to destroy itself, then attacked directly. Temptempo attacked directly as well.

Tabman set a monster and passed.

Bishop’s Dark Hole wiped the field! Tabman wanted to use his Starlight Road, but it only protects his own cards! Sabersaurus was Normal Summoned to finish the Duel!

Temtempo makes his way into the top 32 of its first tournament! Both duelists moved for their Side Decks.

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Duel Two

Tabman started with Torrential Tribute, Snowman Eater, Necrovalley, Solemn Warning, and Gravekeeper’s Guard. He drew Pot of Duality. Pot of Duality revealed Royal Tribute and two other cards, but the choice was obvious. Necrovalley was activated, two back row cards were set, and a monster was set. Royal Tribute then tossed Tabman’s own Snowman Eater, and revealed no monsters from Bishop’s hand!

Bishop set three back rows.

Tabman drew Ryko and passed.

Bishop passed.

Tabman drew Commandant and passed.

Bishop summoned Sabersaurus and ended.

Tabman drew Compulsory Evacuation Device. He set it and ended.

Bishop passed.

Tabman drew Mirror Force. He set it summoned Commandant. Bishop allowed it, and when it attacked Sabersaurs, Bishop’s Mystical Space Typhoon destroyed Necrovalley! Without the ATK boost from his field, Commandant would go down. Tabman used Compulsory Evacuation Device to return it to his hand instead. Then he sent it to the Graveyard to get Necrovalley, and activated it.

Bishop Normal Summoned Tour Guide From the Underworld, and its effect Special Summoned Sangan. He overlayed them to summon Leviair the Sea Dragon. He then activated Macro Cosmos! Leviair stole Tabman’s banished Gravekeeper’s Commandant. Then he attacked with Leviair into Gravekeeper’s Guard, which was boosted by Necrovalley, taking the first damage of the game! Guard returned Commandant back to Tabman’s hand! Bishop ended his turn.

Tabman drew Gravekeeper’s Descendant. He set Gravekeeper’s Spy and ended his turn.

Bishop passed.

Tabman drew Solemn Judgment. He Flip Summoned Gravekeeper’s Spy, and it was negated by Fiendish Chain. Tabman pressed on, using Spy and Guard to Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia. Bishop had Solemn Warning, however! He set Spy and Judgment, ending his turn.

Bishop cleared the field with Dark Hole, but his Leviair was spared thanks to Forbidden Lance. Leviair used its effect to return Sabersaurus. When Leviair attacked Tabman activated Mirror Force. Bishop had another Forbidden Lance though, and saved his Sabersaurus! Both monsters attacked directly.

Tabman drew Torrential Tribute, and set it along with Commandant.

Bishop passed.

Tabman drew Book of Moon. He flipped up Commandant, and it was banished by Bottomless Trap Hole. He set Ryko then, and ended his turn.

Bishop used Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy Torrential Tribute on his own turn, then summoned Tour Guide! It used its effect to summon another Guide, and Tabman’s second Torrential Tribute was used to destroy everything! All monsters were banished thanks to Macro Cosmos.

Tabman drew and used Pot of Duality, choosing between Spy, Descendant, and Mystical Space Typhoon. He added Spy to his hand, and set it along with Book of Moon.

Bishop passed.

Tabman drew Mystical Space Typhoon, and time in the round was called! Tabman was winning by 500 Life Points. He used Typhoon to hit a face-down Fiendish Chain. Then he flipped up Spy, using its effect to bring Descendant to the field. Bishop used Book of Moon on Descendant when it was summoned, preventing it from using its effect. Spy attacked and was banished by Dimensional Prison.

Bishop used Heavy Storm! He had no other plays.

Tabman set a back row, and Bishop couldn’t deal any damage next turn! Tabman won by having the most life points, and we are going to a third Duel!

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Duel Three

This final Duel will have two turns for each player. After that, the player with the highest Life Points wins. If it’s still tied, play will continue until the first change in Life Points.

Bishop set a monster and three back row cards.

Tabman opened with Compulsory Evacuation Device, Starlight Road, Solemn Warning, Ryko, and Commandant. He drew Book of Moon. He set the Ryko, then all his Spells and Traps.

Tabman drew Descendant. Book of Moon turned Dolkka face-down, preventing it from using its effect. Tabman then flipped up Ryko, destroying Dolkka! Tabman needed to deal any amount of damage to win, but when Ryko attacked it was banished by Dimensional Prison! In Main Phase 2, Tabman sent his Commandant to the Graveyard to search out Necrovalley. He activated it and set Descendant.

From this point on, the first change in Life Points would determine the game. Bishop set a monster.

Tabman drew and summoned Gravekeeper’s Guard. He flipped up Descendant and used its effect to tribute Guard, but Effect Veiler negated it. Descendant attacked and destroyed Sangan, which got Bishop a Tour Guide From the Underworld. “Should have equipped your Fairy Meteor Crush!” Bishop joked.

Bishop summoned Tour Guide, using it to bring another to the field. Smashing Ground destroyed Descendant, and Tour Guide attacked for the win!